Extendable Sun Visor Assembly

ABSTRACT

An extendable sun visor assembly shades the eyes of drivers and passengers from the glare of light while in a vehicle. The assembly includes a housing. A mounting apparatus is coupled to the housing and is configured for mounting the housing to an interior surface of a vehicle adjacent a selectable window of the vehicle. An extension is extendably coupled to the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to sun visor assemblies and more particularlypertains to a new sun visor assembly for shading the eyes of drivers andpassengers from the glare of light while in a vehicle.

2. Summary of the Disclosure

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a housing. A mounting apparatus is coupled to thehousing and is configured for mounting the housing to an interiorsurface of a vehicle adjacent a selectable window of the vehicle. Anextension is extendably coupled to the housing.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of an extendable sun visorassembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing thepanel retracted into the housing

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing thepanel extended from the housing.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing thepanel extended from the housing.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosuretaken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through7 thereof, a new sun visor assembly embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the extendable sun visorassembly 10 generally comprises a housing 12 having a slot 14 extendingtherein. The slot 14 is positioned in a bottom edge 16 of the housing12. The housing 12 may include a housing window 18 and a housing frame20. The housing frame 20 is comprised of a rigid material, such asplastic or the like. The housing frame 20 is coupled to and extendsaround the housing window 18. The housing window 18 is constructed froma polarized non-glare material to selectively block unwanted light. Moreparticularly, the housing window 18 may be constructed from a syntheticplastic sheet used as a polarizing filter and sold under the trademarkPolaroid. Alternatively, the housing window 18 may be constructed from atranslucent or tinted transparent material to provide either partialscreening of light or some visibility looking through the housing window18. The housing 12 may have rounded corners to protect against injury toa user should the user get into an automobile accident.

An extension 22 is extendably coupled to the housing 12. The extension22 is retractable from the housing 12 through the slot 14. The extension22 may include an extension window 24 and an extension frame 26. Theextension frame 26 is comprised of a rigid material, such as plastic orthe like. The extension frame 26 is coupled to and extends around theextension window 24. The extension window 24 is constructed from apolarized non-glare material, such as Polaroid or the like, toselectively block unwanted light. Alternatively, the extension window 24may be constructed from a translucent or tinted transparent material toprovide either partial screening of light or some visibility lookingthrough the extension window 24. A tab 28 may be integrally coupled tothe extension 22 to facilitate pulling the extension 22 downwardly outof the slot 14. The tab 28 is positioned outside of the housing 12 whenthe extension 22 is fully inserted into the housing 12. The extension22, similar to the housing 12, may have rounded corners to protect theuser against injury.

A mounting apparatus 30 is coupled to the housing 12 and is configuredfor mounting the housing 12 to an interior surface of a vehicle justabove the windshield. The mounting apparatus 30 includes a rod 32extending through an interior space 34 of the housing 12. The extension22 is rotatably mountable around the rod 32. The rod 32 has a first end36 extending outwardly of a first lateral side 38 of the housing 12 anda second end 40 extending outwardly of a second lateral side 42 of thehousing 12. A biasing member 44 is mounted within the housing 12 and ismechanically coupled to the extension 22 wherein the biasing member 44automatically retracts the extension 22 into the housing 12. Themounting apparatus 30 further includes a mount 46, a hook 48 and abracket 50. The mount 46 may have holes 52 positioned therein and thebracket 54 may have apertures 54 positioned therein for fastening eachof the mount 46 and the bracket 54 to the interior surface of thevehicle just above the windshield using screws or the like. The mount 46and the bracket 50 are spaced apart and aligned relative to each otherwhen each is mounted to the interior surface of the vehicle. The firstend 36 of the rod 32 is coupled to the mount 46 and may be pivotallycoupled to the mount 46 via a ball joint 37 or the like to allow thehousing 12 and the extension 22 to pivot between the windshield and afront side window of the vehicle. The rod 32 is supportable by the hook48 adjacent to the second end 40 of the rod 32. The hook 48 is coupledto and extends outwardly from the bracket 50.

In use, the housing 12 is mounted to the interior surface of a vehicleadjacent a selectable window the vehicle using the mounting apparatus30. The housing 12 can be positioned in front of the windshield or canbe pivoted in front of a front side window of the vehicle like aconventional sun visor. When desired, the extension 22 is pulleddownwardly out of the housing 12 using tab 28 in order to selectivelyblock unwanted light and reduce glare for either a passenger or driverof the vehicle.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. An extendable sun visor assembly comprising: a housing; amounting apparatus coupled to said housing and being configured formounting said housing to an interior surface of a vehicle adjacent aselectable window of the vehicle; an extension extendably coupled tosaid housing; wherein said mounting apparatus includes a rod extendingthrough an interior space of said housing, an upper portion of saidextension being mounted around said rod; and a biasing member mountedwithin said housing and being mechanically coupled to said extensionwherein said biasing member automatically retracts said extension intosaid housing by wrapping of said upper portion around said rod as saidextension is retracted.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprisingsaid housing having a slot extending therein, said extension beingretractable from said slot.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, furthercomprising said slot being positioned in a bottom edge of said housing.4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising wherein said extensionincludes an extension window and an extension frame, said extensionframe being coupled to and extending around said extension window. 5.The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a tab integrally coupled tosaid extension, said tab being positioned outside of said housing whensaid extension is fully inserted into said housing.
 6. The assembly ofclaim 4, further comprising wherein said extension window is constructedof a polarized non-glare material.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising wherein said housing includes a housing window and a housingframe, said housing frame being coupled to and extending around saidhousing window.
 8. The assembly of claim 7, further comprising whereinsaid housing window is constructed of a polarized non-glare material. 9.The assembly of claim 1, further comprising said rod having a first endextending outwardly of a first lateral side of said housing, saidmounting apparatus further including a mount, said first end of said rodbeing coupled to said mount.
 10. The assembly of claim 9, furthercomprising wherein said rod is pivotally coupled to said mount.
 11. Theassembly of claim 10, further comprising wherein said mounting apparatusfurther includes a hook coupled to and extending outwardly from abracket, said rod having a second end extending outwardly of a secondlateral side of said housing, said rod being supportable by said hookadjacent to said second end of said rod.
 12. The assembly of claim 11,further comprising: said mount having holes positioned therein; saidbracket having apertures positioned therein; and each of said holes andsaid bracket being configured to receive a fastener therethrough.